NC State
19-3,10-1ACC
#20/19 Notre Dame
17-4,8-2ACC
#3 Wolfpack Comes Up Just Short to #20 Notre Dame, 69-66
2/1/2022 9:35:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Another incredible fourth-quarter surge by No. 3 Wolfpack women's hoops (19-3, 10-1 ACC) came up just short this time as the team fell 69-66 to No. 20 Notre Dame (17-4, 8-2 ACC) on the road on Tuesday night.
NC State cut a 12-point fourth-quarter Fighting Irish lead to two points late, but Notre Dame hung on for the win.
Coming into the game, NC State was on a nine-game winning streak and had defeated the last 18 ACC opponents it had faced. The loss was its first in ACC play this season.
Diamond Johnson led the Wolfpack in scoring with 16 points, scoring 14 of those in the second half and 10 in the fourth quarter alone to help bring NC State within a possession. Elissa Cunane (13 points) and Jakia Brown-Turner (11 points) also hit double figures in scoring.
Notre Dame led for the majority of the first half, but the Wolfpack was able to stay within striking distance to trail by just four points (32-28) after 20 minutes. NC State shot 4-of-8 from three-point range in the first half and knocked down the final shot of the second quarter to take some momentum into the locker room.
A 10-2 run to open the second half put Notre Dame up 12 points, and the Fighting Irish led by nine (52-43) headed into the fourth quarter. They once again opened up a 12-point lead as late as 7:34 in that period, but the Wolfpack did not let up.
NC State cut into the deficit and held Notre Dame without a make from the field for the final 3:58 of the game. The Pack took advantage of six unanswered points to draw within two points (65-63, 1:42), but a pair of fouls sent Notre Dame to the free throw line to put its lead back at six. Cunane completed a three-point play with 43 seconds remaining, and NC State went on to get a defensive stop to regain possession of the ball with 15 seconds remaining.
Johnson got a pair of threes off thanks to an offensive rebound by Kai Crutchfield, but neither of them fell.
The Wolfpack will round out its stretch of three games in five days at home on Thursday, Feb. 3 when it hosts Florida State. Tip-off from Reynolds Coliseum is set for 6 p.m. on the ACC Network.
#GoPack | @PackWomensBball
